Elastic fluid turbine



March 29, 1938. J. H, DORAN ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE Inventor: i John. H. DOTjan, IbYM-'JMLH I5 AttOTTey,

MSSS /1 Filed May 29, 1936 Patented Mar. 29, ,41938 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE Application May 29, 1936, serial No. 82,496

4 claims.

for example, temperatures of the order of 1200 F. 'I 'he provision of a double casing, that is, an inner and outer casing, permits of a dimension of the .pressure between the two casings whereby there is obtained a considerable reduction in the stresses set up by the high elastic uid pressures on the respective casin'gs. For instance, in case the inlet pressure of the elastic uid is 1000 lbs. per square. inch and a pressure of for instance 500 lbs. is maintained in the annular 'space dened between the two casings the pressure drop across each of the two casings is 500 lbs. only. .The high temperatures'to which the casings are subjected cause considerable expansion and contraction, particularly of the inner casing, and difliculties are encountered in properly connecting the inner casing to the source of high pressure, high temperature elastic fluid.

The object of my invention is Vto provide an improved construction and arrangement in a vhigh pressure, high temperature elastic uid turbine of the double 'casing type whereby the inlet or inlets of the inner casing may be readily connected to the source of elastic uid.

For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the following description and the claims appended thereto in connection @with the accom- 35 panying drawing.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 represents a somewhat diagrammatic view oi an elastic uid turbine embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail View along line 2-2 of Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of a modification of my invention.

The elastic fluid turbine, shown in Figs. 41 and v2,.has a solid rotor I0 disposed within anA inner casing `I I, which latter is surrounded by an outer casing I2. The annular space I3 defined between the inner and the outer casing communicates 'with'an intermediate turbine stage whereby a pressure of the order of several hundred pounds l phragm I1 to the 'rst stage bucket wheel I8 of the turbine. In order to eiect uniform 110W 00 of elastic fluid through the nozzle diaphragm Il,

the elastic fluid is conducted to several circumferentially spaced-apart portions of the annular space I6. In the vpresent instance the inner casing II, Fig. 2, has two upper circumferentially spaced inlet openings I9, 20 and three lower circumferentially spaced inlet 'openings' 2l, 22 and 23. The aforementioned inlets I9 to 23 are cylindrical and of considerable length to accommodate elements associatedtherewith as described hereafter.-

In accordance with my invention the outer casing is integrally united with an elastic uid chest 24 preferably disposed below the outer casing. In the present instance the chest 24 forms an integral part of the lower portion of the outerv casing I2. 'I'he chest has an inlet 25 for receiving elastic uid and a plurality of outlets Vfor discharging elastic fluid to the aforementioned inlet openings I9 to 23. Some of the outlets are in the common wall portion of the chest and the outer casing. The flow through the outlets is controlled by ilvefI valves 26, 21, 28, 29 and 30. The valves 26 and 30 serve to control the flow of elastic uid to the inlets I9, 20 and the valves 21 to 29 serve to control the 110W of elastic fluid to the turbine inlets 2l to 23. The chest 24 is connected to the upper inlets I9'and 20 by means of two conduits 3| and 32 respectively. Each of said conduits has a discharge or end portion 33 Whichiin accordance with my invention is rigidly secured to an open portion of the outer casing and has a exible connection'with the inner casing, The rigid connection between the conduit portion 33 and the outer .casing I2 comprises a ring 34 secured to the portion 33 by a weld 35 and sealed to the open portion of the outer casing by means including a clamp yring 36 and a plurality of bolts 31. Thus the connection: between the outlet `portions 33 and the outei` casing is uidtight, permitting the maintenance of a substantial pressure within the space I3 intermediate the inner and the outerV casing. The inner casing I I is connected to'the conduit portion 33 by means of a exible coupling. VVSaid coupling comprises in accordance with my` invention a plurality of rings 38 having an inner packing surface engaging the outer surface of the conduit portion 33 and an outer surface spaced from the cylindrical surface dened by the inlet opening I9. These rings 38 alternate with a plurality of other rings 39 which have an inner surface spaced from the conduit 33 and an outer surface engaging the cylindrical surface of the inlet opening I9. "Ihe rings are held in position, that is, prevented from radial outward movement, by lockingmeans including an end ring 40 held in position by means including a split ring 4I. With this arrangement leakage along the conduit 33 from the interior of the inner casing IIv into the intermediate space I3 is reduced ,to a minimum and'at the :same time the inner casing I'I may expand radially as Well as axially Without materially affecting the sealing connection with the inlet conduit 3 I, 33.

Each of the valves 26 to 30 has a valve stem 45 which is moved by suitable cam-control means, not shown. A valve member 46 is secured to the inner end of each valve stem and arranged in cooperative relation to a valve seat. Each valve seat in accordance with my invention is formed by acylindrical member 41 having one end rigidly secured to the wall of the valve chest by means including a split ring 48 and a locking ring 49 and another end projecting into the cylindrical` openings 2l, 22 and 23 respectively. This other end is connected to the open portions of the inner casing by means of flexible coupling means simi- 'lar to the coupling or connecting means for connecting the, conduits 3l to the openings I9, 26. More specifically, each coupling means comprises a plurality of rings 50 which have an inner surface in packing engagement with the outer surface of the cylindrical member 41, whereas the outer surfaces of the ring 50 are spaced from the cylindrical surfaces of the openings 2| to 23 res'vpectively. 'The rings 50 alternate with a plurality of other or sealing rings 5I which have an outer surface which engages the cylindrical surfaces of openings 2| to 23, and an inner surface spaced from the outer cylindrical surface of `the cylindrical element 41. The arrangement is similar with regard to valves 21, 28 and 29, whereas the seat for the valves 26 and 30 is defined by a cylindrical member 52 secured at its lower end to the Wall of the valve chest and by means including a split ring 53. The upper end of the cylindrical element 52 is united with an end portion of the conduit 3| by a Weld 54.

The arrangement shown in Fig. 3 comprises an inner casing surrounded by an outer casing 6I corresponding to casings Hand I2 of Fig. 1. The

elastic fluid is conducted through an opening 62 in the outer casing to an opening 63 in the inner i casing by means including a cylindrical element 64 corresponding to the element 41 of Fig. 2. The lowerend of the cylindrical element 64 is secured to the wall of the outer casing 6I by means,`

including a split ring 65 and locking ring 66. 'I'he outer cylindrical surface of the element 64 is sealed against the surrounding cylindrical surface of the opening 63 by a plurality of pairs of packing rings 61 alternating with a plurality of pairs of packingrlngs 66. The rings 61 have sealing engagement with the outer surface ,of the element- 64 but have clearance with the cylindricalv surf face 63 of the casing 66, whereas the pairs of rings 68 are spaced from the outer surface of the cylindrical element 64 and are in sealing engagement with the cylindricalfsurface 63 of the casing 66. 'Ihe pairs of rings 61, 68 are held in position by means including an end ringv69 which is locked to a-shouldered portion 1II of the casing by means including a split ring 1I and a locking ring 12. During operation `the rings permit relative movement between the casing 60 and the cylindrical member 64, that is, the casing 60 is free to move due to expansion in axial and radial directionwithout setting up any stresses in the cylindrical member 64 and without materially affecting the sealing between the cylindrical member 64 and the casing 60.

-Wh'at I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A high pressure high temperature elastic fluid turbine including the combination of an outer casing, an inner casing disposed Within and spaced from the outer casing to define an intermediate space for receiving elastic fluid at` an intermediate pressure, means for conducting elastic fluid to the inner casing comprising a .valve chest having a, Wall portion with a plurality of openings defined by the wall4 of the outer casing, and means for conducting elastic fluid from the chest into the inner casing comprising cylindrical elements detachably secured to the openings in the chest and flexible sealing means betweenthe cylindrical elements and the inner casing.

2. A high pressure high temperature elastic fluid turbine including the combination of an outer casing, an inner casing disposed within and spaced from the outer casing to define a space for receiving fluid at an. intermediate pressure, a valve chest rigidly secured to the outer casing and having a wall portion defined by the outer casing, an opening in said wall portion, another opening in the inner casing, means for conducting elastic fluid from the chest through said` openings into the inner casing comprising a cylindrical member forming a valve seat detachably secured to the open wall portion of the chest and projecting into the opening in the inner casing and flexible sealing means between said cylindrical member and the inner casing to reduce leakage from the inner casing into said intermediate space.

3.,A high pressure high temperature elastic valve seat within the chest and being rigidly se- -cured to the open wall portion of the chest, said member having another end portion projecting into the opening in the inner casing and being spaced from the Wall of said opening, and flexible sealing means between the other end portion and the inner casing.

4. A high pressure high' temperature elastic fluid turbine including the combination of an outer casing, an inner casing, a valve chest having a wall portion with a plurality of openings .defined by the lower portion of the outer casing, means for conducting elastic fluid from the chest .to the inner casing comprising a cylindrical member having a flanged end portion, means for detachably securing the flanged end portion to a seat formed by one of the openings, the cylinldrical member having another end portion projecting into an opening in the inner casing, flexible sealing means between the other end portion and the adjacent Wall portion of the inner casing, and valve means for controlling the flow of elastic fluid from the chest into the inner casing including a valve seat defined by the flanged end portion of the cylindrical member.

JOHN H. DORAN. 

